Please Vote for Our SXSW Interactive 2015 ProposalAbout a month ago, I published an interview with Bassey Etim of The New York Times and David Williams of CNN. They lead comment moderation at their respective companies. I really enjoyed our conversation and couldn’t help but feel that it would make a wonderful fireside chat-style talk in-person at an event.

Between the 3 of us, we have more than 30 years of moderation experience. Bassey and David deal with a volume of comments that few can fathom. Not just that, but they work in an environment that is highly charged, in a space where people expect to say what is on their mind.

It was fascinating to hear about the moderation philosophy differences at play between CNN and The New York Times. Though each has taken a different path, they have both been successful. I’d love to explore those differences in-person, while drawing from my own deep experience, and have an advanced, high-level conversation about comment moderation.

We submitted the idea as a proposal for the 2015 iteration of South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive. The selection process begins with a public vote. If you would like to see this talk at the event, please consider giving it a thumbs up on their website (registration required). Thank you for your support.

Hopefully we have what it takes, but whether or not it is accepted, I’d love to have this conversation with Bassey and David at other events, as well. I’m really excited by it and look forward to the opportunity.